This "elegiac tribute to the elusive art and ineffable pleasure of
fly-fishing" (Kirkus Reviews) shows us why life's most valuable
lessons--and some of its best experiences--are found while
fly-fishing.
For John Gierach, "the master of fly-fishing" (Sacramento Bee),
fishing is always the answer--even when it's not clear what the question
is. In All Fishermen Are Liars, Gierach travels around North America
seeking out quintessential fishing experiences, whether it's at a busy
stream or a secluded lake hidden amid snow-capped mountains. He talks
about the art of fly-tying and the quest for the perfect steelhead fly
("The Nuclear Option"), about fishing in the Presidential Pools
previously fished by the elder George Bush ("I wondered briefly if I'd
done something karmically disastrous and was now fated to spend the rest
of my life breathing the exhaust of this elderly Republican"), and the
importance of traveling with like-minded companions when caught in a
soaking rain ("At this point someone is required to say, 'You know,
there are people who wouldn't think this is fun'"). And though Gierach
loses some fish along the way, he never loses his passion and sense of
humor.
Wry, contemplative, and lively--that is to say, pure Gierach--All
Fishermen Are Liars is a joy to read--and, as always, the next best
thing to fishing itself. "From the early days...to his present cult
status, Gierach's candor and canniness at the water's edge have been
consistent...His grizzled, laconic persona is engaging and the voice of
the common angler" (The Wall Street Journal).
